


Live. Die. Repeat.

by Wilson66



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Based on Edge of Tomorrow, Character Death, Death, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Heavy Angst, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Time Loop, did I mention death?, more angst to be added, new evil in the galaxy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-02 08:40:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20273098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wilson66/pseuds/Wilson66
Summary: Prompt 1 -edge of tomorrow (cannon verse or AU time loop because of aliens where Kylo is stuck in a time loop and has to save the world until he gets it right)An unknown threat sweeps from the dark depths of the galaxy, bringing the First Order and the Resistance to their knees. Kylo Ren, the former Supreme Leader finds himself stuck in a time loop on the momentous battlefield, can he save his world?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [orichan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orichan/gifts).

> For Orichan of Cryber.

Chapter 1

  
  


It happened before they had a chance to realise.

The resistance was on its knees, fragile in number with the First Order and its newly appointed Supreme Leader breathing down their neck when the first attack hit.

In the far outskirts of the known galaxy, the newly appointed Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren, leads the charge to locate the remnants of the Resistance with the fully repaired Supremacy.

Armitage Hux stands in his common position at the head of the bridge, the entire First Order buzzing with activity at the realisation that the end of the war moved within their grasp.

"We have a reading, General," Mitaka calls from his position on the bridge, his pale face illuminated by the screen. He manages to pale further as the intimidating presence of the Order’s Supreme Leader swiftly joins them.

"Supreme Leader," Hux acknowledges him through perfectly straight gritted teeth, his disdain for their new leader thinly veiled. "We may have found..."

"I feel something in the Force," Kylo cuts him off, no longer wearing the mask that so many have grown accustomed to, his voice still reminiscent of a deep growl. "But it feels different."

"How?" The question dies on Hux's lips as the lights on the bridge flickers and dies out before the backup power bathes the bridge of the Supremacy in a faint red glow.

"Ren, if this is some stupid Force trick!" Hux barks, unable to completely hide the fear that tinges his tone.

"It's not me," Kylo murmurs, his power stretching out to locate the surge of Force that he feels coating the air. The radar on Mitaka's screen steadily rising with each passing second.

"For millennia, we have slept," the disjointed voice begins as a whisper through each communication device on the First Order vessel, with each ending of the sentence, it begins again, only increasing in volume.

"But now we return," Kylo's heart beats with something he tries to pretend he's never felt before, the crawling pressure almost like a hand gripping at his throat of undiluted terror. 

"And we will destroy." The words register with the first hit to the starboard side, hitting the Supremacy and engulfing the ship into flames. Thousands of small blasts connect, the bridge bursting into flames before Kylo’s very eyes.

He can feel the strange force pulsating against his own, an attack on his senses that has him almost doubling over in pain. Death surrounds him, the remnants of the First Order bolting for safety, Hux’s footsteps easily picked out with the direct step that seems to just brush with a panicked gait. 

An escape pod in sight, an errant shot blasts the ceiling above, causing the structure to collapse from above, Kylo managing to block the falling debris using what little power he currently possesses, managing to reach his freedom.

His hand on the lock to the pod, his body is almost inside safely, when a pained moan catches his attention. Dark eyes flicker to the pinned body on the ground, flaming red hair blending seamlessly with the inferno around them.  _ Armitage Hux.  _ His competition for power and potential enemy, his fate sealed by the decision that Kylo has to make.

The pod crashes on the forest floor on the nearest planet, its heavily vegetated floor helping with the small ship’s uncontrollable landing. Alarms ring out, piercing the quiet of this strange world, the possibilities of where they are lost on Kylo. 

Reaching the exit, he pulls the lever, gasping in the air that luckily doesn’t seem to be poisonous. Hux’s unconscious on the floor behind him, his right arm obviously broken by the hideous angle it rests in. 

The world they find themselves in, the sky is engulfed in the display that is the destruction of the First Order, fireworks of the Supremacy burn above as Kylo finally gets a good look of their attackers. The ships are nothing spectacular, small in stature and black in colour, but it's the sheer amount that has Kylo stumbling to his knees. Black dots fill the skyline, like a disease infecting the atmosphere, and by the show of power easily expressed at this moment, maybe the world.

His fight leaves him, his back hitting the ground, the jarring sensation knocking the air from his lungs and with the last of his strength, Kylo manages to call out one word through the force. 

“Rey.”

  
  


*

A warm hand cups against the skin of his forehead, the gesture; gentle and kind. Something he hadn't been accustomed to feeling for a long time, his eyes struggle to focus on his surroundings and the owner of the hand touching his face. Brown hair flecked with grey, tied back with an impressive-looking plait that brings back the ghost of a childhood memory. Concerned eyes stare back into his own and a wave of relief washes through Kylo Ren's soul.

"Mother." The single word takes so much effort, his throat feeling like it's edged with glass. He can only observe Leia, the way her face relaxes with relief, how her hands gingerly cup his neck as tears begin to fall.

"You're safe now, it's ok Ben, you're safe."

Before the blackness of fatigue washes over him, for a frightening moment, Kylo actually believes her.

*

It feels like weeks, but it may indeed only be days, the Supreme Leader of the fallen First Order, unaware of the destruction sweeping across the galaxy while his body heals.

Gingerly, he finds himself able to stand straight for the first time, Leia, his only visitor, waits by the corner as he inspects the clothes she brought him, the black trousers his own that have been washed and mended from the accident, the white shirt pulls slightly at the shoulders, the material high in quality, but beginning to show its age. 

Kylo turns and faces her, he doesn't want to see the emotions running through her eyes when she sees him dressed in a garment of clothing that he knows belonged to his father. Han, a subject he's not ready to discuss, Luke, being another.

  
  


The walk to the command room, that the last of the resistance have created, is a long and arduous task out of a forgotten Empire storeroom in the planet Wayland, not far from where he crashed, or so Leia informs him. 

Kylo, not unused to the stares, feels raw and bare during the short distance, his dark hair lank and unkempt, his face with its mismatched features and the scar that cuts across, observed quietly by anyone that comes across his and Leia's path.

He's almost relieved when she opens the door… almost.

The reception of his new audience is just as frosty, from the man he knows as Dameron, standing at the head of the table, his tanned skin, dark curly locks pulled from his handsome face, the at ease smile such a juxtapoz to everyone else.

The traitor now known as Finn stands at his right, a petite woman with concern-filled eyes grips onto his arm by his side when her eyes hold Kylo's for the first time. 

Kylo's eyes catch a flicker of moment closest to the door he just entered, and for the first time, he feels somewhat relieved at seeing a familiar face. 

Paler than he's ever seen him, a few cuts and bruises dotting the drawn face of the former General of the First Order. Right arm in a sling, Hux is the only person in the room that has remained seating since Kylo entered, although it may not be through choice as a growl came from Chewie, who Kylo hadn’t seen since he was pierced with his crossbow.

He's not sure if he sees or senses her first, the tension in the room disappearing when his very being senses the force signature of her. The way she enters from the door furthest from him, hidden for a moment behind her comrades till she moves into view, like a sunrise burning bright before the darkest dawn.

Her robes were similar to the ones he saw her in before she snapped the force bond closed. Her hair was pulled into her preferred bun style, pushed off the nape of her neck. The freckles across her face, Kylo was still capable of counting them when he closed his eyes, from the image he buried deep within his mind. And those eyes, an explosion of brown and green that meet his gaze head-on, no fear of the beastly reputation, but little kindness showed than before.

"Well, now that we're all here." Leia leaves Kylo to settle at the empty seat beside Hux. Moving to the other end of the table, Kylo observes how Poe moves to her side, the respect and unspoken routine of a leader and her second in command evident.

"Six days ago, on the outer rim, the flagship and all known vessels of The First Order were destroyed," Leia begins to speak, a map marked with the location of the Supremacy before the attack highlighted before everyone in red.

"The veracity of the Force signature alerted us to your position, where we found you not far from one of the small moons nearby." The image flickers to what can only be described as complete and utter destruction, the memory of watching the moon they crashed on, sky illuminated with the annihilation of The First Order, snapping to the forefront of his mind.

He hears Hux gasp at his ship's demise, forgetting that his general had been unconscious during the close of the attack, he watches him pull himself with great difficulty to his feet, his body potentially battered as much as Kylo's own.

"Survivors?" Hux whispers, even though he surely is aware of the answer.

"Two, yourself and..." Poe nods towards Kylo, their eyes meeting for a moment. "By the time we reached you, everyone was already lost." 

"Never seen a massacre before, General, or just not one you've had a hand in orchestrating?" The traitor’s tone pulls Hux's focus from the image, Kylo grabbing him in an instant as the fiery-haired general tries to throw himself at the former stormtrooper.

The room descends into chaos, calls of traitor, rebel scum and murderers thrown at one another with a few other insults mixed in. Kylo's eyes meet Rey's amid the verbal lashing, her face filled with concern and worry that has a heavyweight blooming inside Kylo's chest. 

"Enough," Leia yells, a tone reminiscent of Kylo's childhood. "Yes, both sides have had casualties over the years that still cut either side deep, but this," Leia gestures to the graveyard of the First Order, "was on a whole new level." 

The image bleeds into another, this time a planet, the sandy coastal streets streaked red and the marble buildings charred and burning "I took this picture on Canto Bight," Poe speaks, one of his hands running through his hair and a deep sigh escaping.

"This had a similar Force blast to the Supremacy."

"You think it was the same army?" Kylo interrupts, he's seen battlefields before, he's handed out death before, but this is was a thing of nightmares.

"We think so," the petite girl speaks, Rose, he believes he overheard Finn call her during the yells before. A lost sister, the reason for the look of disgust that fills her features when she looks at Kylo and Hux for too long. "This is the message that Hux gave us from the Supremacy." 

"For millennia, we have slept," the tone sends shivers down Kylo's spine, the not so long memory of confusion and unease that had filled the doomed First Order.

"But now we return." He knew what happened next, how these creatures would speak of destruction before destroying the strongest force of the galaxy. His body jumping when Hux's hand slams down hard on the table, his jaw-dropping when he realises the General's green eyes were glassy with tears.

"I beg of you to turn that off." A mumbled apology and the recording is switched, cutting off the metallic declaration of war, plunging the room into silence.

"Do we know who they are?" Rey breaks the quiet, her eyes looking at each individual before finishing on Kylo "What they want?" 

Everyone shakes their heads, but a small itch of a memory of a long-forgotten story takes hold, a legend that a little boy with big dreams remembers raptly listening to, a tale of monsters wreaking havoc from the dark depths of the galaxy.

"Luke once told me..." all eyes stare back at Kylo, the name that falls from his lips adding to the already tension-filled atmosphere. "He once told me of the legends of the First, the first creatures that existed in the galaxies, from the Unknown regions, but they were just a myth."

"Evidently not," Hux snips at Kylo's side, gesturing to the screen filled with the latest destruction. "You think this is these ‘First things’?"

"They weren't real." Kylo shakes his head, his eyes meeting his mother's from across the table when she interrupts.

"All legends have to start somewhere, what did Luke tell you?" 

Sighing deeply, Kylo tries to remember. "Creatures that hold no name or language of their own. They sweep through worlds, killing, the legend was that they were gods, creating the world and silencing anyone that got in their way."

"Oh kriff," Poe mutters as everyone seems to deflate, wary eyes meeting each other at this supposed new evil.

"What about the force signatures?" Rey questions, her body language ramrod straight, although her face seems to pale with every moment. "Are they force sensitive?"

Kylo shakes his head, trying to decipher words spoken to a boy, potential teachings in a forgotten story. "Luke had a theory that The First were the original wielders of the force, neither Sith or Jedi, but a perfect balance." 

"With a taste for killing," Leia comments, everyone's gaze falling to the images of the lost city of Canto Bight and the remains of the Supremacy. 

"So, what now?" Rose questions, Poe catching everyone's attention when he raises his hand.

"I vote that I jump into an X-wing and blow something up." A fond smile plays on Leia's lips, her hand gently grabbing his arm in a kind gesture that has a surprising flare of jealousy building in Kylo's gut.

"There’ll be time for that." She stands, a silent message that the meeting has come to a rather depressing close. "Well, welcome to the Resistance boys," Leia meets both Kylo and Hux's eyes before adding, "looks like we're on the same side now." 

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend, General Organa?" Hux replies, a different type of smile crossing the older woman's face as she replies.

"Indeed, General Hux, or would that be former General now?" 

After Leia leaves, the others begin to file out, leaving Kylo, Hux and Rey. Again, Hux struggles to his feet, the military straight stance that Kylo had gotten used to seeing on the bridge of his command vessel, a poor imitation before him.

"I have to ask," Hux speaks, either not aware of Rey's presence still in the room, or not bothered if she hears, "why did I survive the attack?" 

Kylo meets his eyes, remembers the decision he made as the ship collapsed around them.

"The others were lost, Hux, and even though we have had our differences in the past, you have one of the best military minds that I know of," Kylo gestures to where Leia's report had been projected, "and by the looks of things, the galaxy's going to need that mind." 

Hux stares down at him, his eyes cool and calculating for a moment before nodding his head, a quiet murmur of Supreme Leader is offered before the door closes.

Rey moves slowly next, the first time they have found themselves in the other’s presence since Snoke's throne room. "Why did you really save him?" 

Kylo's eyes met hers and he can't help but utter the truth. "Because, at that moment, I couldn't help but wonder what you would do."

She nods her head, her hand slowly moving to rest on his shoulder. "Leia's right, welcome to the Resistance.

"No," shaking his head sadly, Kylo Ren sighs before meeting Rey's eyes, "The Resistance and the First Order are over, Rey, it's just the survivors and the less fortunate now." 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new content day Orichan!
> 
> Thank you to my long-suffering beta.

Chapter 2

  
  


For months, the world was ravaged, under siege by this powerful new entity.

The survivors rarely left the safety of their base, the world they found sanctuary on lucky to be seemingly inconsequential to the First's army.

The unease between the Resistance and First Order members bled away with each report full of records of life lost, all except Kylo and Rey.

Forced conversation and a force bond that feels bolted closed on Rey's side, with no reprieve in sight, was the summary of their relationship and Kylo wouldn't be lying if he said it made him regret past actions.

And then the survivors seem to catch a lucky break.

Finn and Poe were out on a mission, using one of the X-wings the survivors had scavenged recently, they had been searching nearby worlds for any more survivors.

Hollering as they enter the base, their prisoner held tightly by an array of chains, swaying slightly as it's pulled to the makeshift holding cell that's seen better years, catching the attention of both Rose and Hux, busy working on a weapon of some sort.

They have all seen pictures of the First from ship images, shots of the creatures from a distance mid-massacre, but seeing a beast up close is something else entirely.

Kylo can't take his eyes off it, noticing how Rey's body seems to move closer, his wrist gently pulling her back and his heart lurching when he feels her flinch away from the contact.

As if sensing its captor’s presence, whatever had stunned it ebbing from its system, the creature lurched to its full height. Dwarfing even Chewie, as it seemed to give a chirp-like sound, seemingly calling out.

Its skin was black as the deepest blackhole in space, eyes vacant and as soulless as the atrocities its kind currently inflicts on the galaxy. Its limbs were thick, ending with sharp, claw-like paws, four tentacles attached to its back, a long, intimidating face and plated armoured flesh.

A creature built for battle that noticed its audience.

It wails and throws itself against the bars of the cell. Its limbs and tentacles hammering against the glass for any way of escape.

Its screams pitching to an uncomfortable level, making most of its audience wince in discomfort, except for Hux and Ben, the training from years under Snoke showed they felt little discomfort.

"Enough of this," Hux mutters when its cries continue, its panic seemingly not stopping any time soon. Pushing his way past Rey and the rest, he rasps his hand hard against the bars of its cell.

And then, it falls silent.

No one moves, no one dares to. Rose clings to Finn's arm, her body turned into his, even though her eyes are locked onto the beast. Kylo watches the creature rise to its impressive height, its head focused on the ceiling above. From his peripheral, he catches Rey's hand extending towards Hux to pull him back when the creature finally lowers what appears to be it's face. Its cold, desolate eyes focus for the first time during its captivity on the red-headed former general.

It lunges, tentacles gripping against Hux's throat as it pulls him closer, Poe and Kylo racing to his left while Rey tries to pry its limbs from their companions who already seems to be turning a deep shade of purple.

Kylo's hand grabs at the first tentacles he can get ahold of, the shouts of everyone else and the gurgles from Hux quickly fades when the beast flicks its head instantly in his direction.

"Force user." 

Its metallic voice cools Kylo's blood, the shock of the creature speaking and its words give the rest of the gang time to pull Hux from its clutches. His raspy replies to Poe's concerned questions fade as Kylo assumes he's taken from the room, imagining that Poe would take no chances in getting his former enemy checked out.

"Who are you?" Rey asks, her voice shaking slightly. He feels her presence as she moves close by his side. "What do you want?"

Its gaze sweeps between the two, the black eyes that seemed so distant before, now burning deep enough to potentially pierce both their souls.

"We want our home, we want what belongs to us."

"Which is?" The question is asked, the creature's attention beginning to slip. With every second that fades, the creature slowly returns to the snarly beast it was before being provoked.

Rey's eyes meet Kylo's, both noticing the other’s returning presence. 

"What do we do with it now?" Leia's the first to speak, watching the creature backing itself into the farthest corner.

"I have a few ideas," Hux mutters, his hand rubbing his throat, waving off Poe's concerned looks.

Finn moves to grab a gun. "We should get rid of it."

"Wait!" Rose moves between the cell and her partner's weapon, her hand resting on his, but her focus on Leia. "This is the closest we've come to one of their kind, we can learn from it."

"Understand what makes them tick," Poe added, everyone noticing how he hadn't left Hux's side since his brush with the creature.

"How it dies," Hux mutters under his breath, everyone waiting for Leia's command.

"Armitage," Leia scoffs, the only one on the entire base who refers to the former general by his first name, a questioning look passing between them.

"It could be valuable to our tests." Shrugging his shoulders, Hux eyes the thing once more. "But I want it sedated and you are to stay far away from it," Hux speaks directly to Rose, withdrawing from the room with his arguing engineering partner by his side.

  
  


"That thing that spoke, isn't this," Kylo speaks up, taking note at its hunched body language and its random chirps. 

"Who was it?" Rey quietly asks. Unsure if the question was aimed at him or just to herself, he turns to her, never noticing how close she had moved to his side.

"The leader… I think

"Fantastic," Finn grumbles, him and Poe following the others with Rey close behind. Kylo moves to join, a session of training before researching the latest attacked sites on the horizon.

"A word Ben," Leia calls, retreating to her solitary sanctuary, knowing her son is sure to follow.

It was in these moments that Kylo believed he was in a dream, something as mundane as sitting in what once was an Empire leader’s office, drinking some caff with his mother.

Their relationship had evolved in these times, like everyone else had. Not the ordinary mother/ son bond, something more general and lieutenant.

Kylo eyes the creature, still mute and immobile in the cell adjacent to Leia's office. He could hear Hux furiously typing on the data pad in the far corner, a breakthrough of a weapon against the First imminent by how furiously he types on the screen.

"You look tired," Leia's remark brings him back from his observations, a quirk of the lips as he replies.

"So do you."

"I'm old, which, if this place continues heading how it is, not many people will get to my age." Both sit quietly for a moment, both minds slipping back to the people lost before and after this invasion started.

"Ben, I, ugh, have something for you." Leia's hand reached inside the desk for a moment. Kylo could hear the few precious objects that his mother called her own shuffle around the space until she found what she was looking for.

_ Luke's lightsaber. _

The last time he had seen it, it was in the burning remnants of Snoke's throne room, struggling between the equal power of himself and Rey.

"Rey fixed it when she created her own, we both feel that this belongs to you." 

"I... I can't accept this."

"Yes," Leia's tone kills the argument building in Kylo's mind, her hands pushing the family heirloom into her son's hand. "You can, I'm proud of you, Ben."

Leaving Leia, his hands still held the saber in reverence. Aimlessly, he finds himself at Rey's door and before he can think it through, he knocks.

He hears her moving, then she's standing there, fresh from a shower, her hair in slight disarray. She arches her brow in a silent question until Kylo gestures to Leia's gift in his hand.

"She mentioned she was going to give you it soon, we agreed it was for the best." Allowing him access to her quarters, she hears him sigh. "You disagree." 

"I don't deserve it," Kylo answers, his gaze sweeping across Rey's room. The trinkets and random pieces she seems to have collected in the past few months, the scavenger nature still burning bright, the room was a far cry from his own that's further down the corridor.

"Ben."

"Please, Rey," he raises his hand, silently begging for her not to call him that name. A reminder of the last time she called him coming to the forefront of his mind.

They stand in awkward silent before Rey settles on the floor, her hands reaching out towards him. "I was going to meditate, if you would like to join."

He's not sure if it'll help with how he feels, but with the promise of being in Rey's company, Kylo can't help but settle in front of her.

His hands clasp Rey's and already he feels the thrum of power, familiar to the last time they connected the bond between them, although Rey's power feels more comfortable within itself.

They feel the power ebb and flow between them, the force radiating from everything around them as they anchor to each other and clear their minds.

The sounds of the inhabitants of the base outside of Rey's room fade, footsteps and discussion turn to static in Kylo's mind. Time seems to slow until the only thing that Kylo is aware of, is the softness of Rey's fingers against his own.

"Relax, Rey." He feels the way, her fingers curl against his own for a fraction of a second before she takes a deep breath. He can almost feel her heart rate gently slowing.

"Where do we begin?" Kylo's mind reaches out, his force taking its first tentative steps into this apocalyptic world. He feels the dying worlds, the pain and anguished cries of the worlds hurting.

"I don't know." For the first time since Snoke's demise, Kylo feels lost.

"I see you, force user," the voice of the creature seeps into the peace that Kylo has etched out in his mind, the same monotonous tone whispering in his ear.

"I see you both, dabbling in a power that you have no business touching."

"Rey, can you hear it?" It's Kylo's turn for his grip to tighten, only finding solace when he hears Rey's voice of reassurance. It’s almost lost to the creature’s voice, that seems to be moving closer.

"We slept when the world found balance and you apes found our power and took it for your own." Kylo can sense the disdain and revulsion dripping from its words. He can feel his mind slipping from Rey's room, can barely hear her voice, he's almost sure he can feel her hands cupping his face, trying to urge him back.

"What do you want?" He can see it now, in his mind, the creature from the cell circling him, as if looking for the best place to strike.

"We have been over this, we wish for what is ours." 

"Which is?" Kylo barks back, and the creature halts its blackened eyes, staring down at him.

" _ Everything _ . I was the one that named these galaxies, that watched as the world evolved from atom, and you dare speak as if we are equals?" 

He can feel its warm breath against his cheek, how, with every breath, a lock of his hair moves from his head.

"Curious that a boy with so many names believes to be strong when he is nothing but weak."

"You know nothing about me!" Kylo seethes, he can feel the familiar rise of anger thrumming through his veins. 

"No?" The voice melts into one so familiar, that Kylo almost forgets to breathe. Gone was the beast, dark black skin and long tentacles replaced with the almost as ghastly sight of Supreme Leader Snoke.

"Weak, like I always thought," Snoke scoffs, his face pulling into a sneer as much as his scar-riddled face will allow. "A moment as the leader of the First Order and they are nothing but history, traitor to our cause, you crawl back to the family that didn't want you in the first place." 

"Stop it," Kylo snaps, his vision turning red as the creature resumes its circling, a vulture waiting for its prey to finally collapse.

"Weak; you think that she could care for someone like you after everything she knows of you?" 

The image of Rey flickers through his mind, and if he concentrates hard enough, he can feel her presence close by, but then, as if feeling her near is a trigger, his mind recaps all the moments he's caused her pain, causing him to wince and close his eyes to fight back the nausea.

"Yeah, weak sounds about right." Snoke's voice now gone, replaced by his father's, "Huh, kid?" 

Han’s fingers grab hold of Kylo's wrist, the latter tries to pull away, lost in what is real and what is not. "I couldn't love you, my own flesh and blood, so why would someone else?"

"Too weak to make things right," Hans voice bleeds into Luke's for a second, the creature’s power bleeding the mirage from Luke to Han and the verbal abuse that begins to start as a whisper ends as a shout.

"Weak!"

"Unworthy of love."

"Traitor!" 

"No son of mine." 

As if tackled to the floor by the venom of the words, he struggles for breath on his knees. His body shakes and heart hammers when the beast finally let's go of the illusion, melting back into its own form, staring down at him.

"That is the place your kind was created for, on your knees, at my feet." As it begins to walk away, Kylo can feel its force signature beginning to loosen its grasp of his mind. 

"They were right though, you are weak." The way it casually turns its head while in thought makes his stomach role with unease. "And I know how to weaken you further."

As if yanked from its line, Kylo takes the first deep drag of air. Rey's voice laced with panic in his ear, it takes him a moment to realise he's shaking in her arms.

"Talk to me Ben, please," Rey speaks, her voice choked with tears as suddenly the walls of the base shake before an alarm erupts. As if the First beast was still standing before him, a claw of terror takes hold of Kylo's throat.

He's up before he can think, Rey hot on his heels as he tries to run on shaky legs. The base is in chaos when he wrenches open the door, all panicked screams as people bolt to the source of the commotion.

Kylo's running, his mind already going to that dark place. Whispered words of weakness circle his mind when he reaches the forecourt, where the cell and his mother's office are located.

Their prisoner stands, its left side wrecked from its escape, all bleeding blackened flesh and oozing blood with its arms and tentacles practically ripped away.

The captured, now the captor, its right-clawed hand wrapped tightly around Leia Organa's throat.

The others join; Finn already has his gun raised when it moves their general to stand before them. Its eyes meet Kylo's before it sneers, "Family and friends are a weakness boy, you believed that once and I'm here to show you that you were right." 

"No, please." Kylo tries to move closer, his heart in his throat when he meets his mother's eyes.

"It's ok Ben, it's alright." Tears burn both their eyes, and Kylo shakes his head.

"Let her go and I'll do anything." His tone is sharp, but he can't hide the panic, feet slowly moving towards them.

"Ben, listen to me," Leia tries to speak, the pressure, an obvious discomfort as her tears fall. "I love you so much." 

"I know, Leia, I love…" Kylo's words die in his throat as it snaps the neck of the infamous General Leia Organa before him.

His mother's body falls into his arms when he runs to catch it, tears streaming down his face as his heart breaks, while the creature stands before him.

"Weak." Like a switch, the beast seems to lose focus, the higher consciousness seemingly leaving the shell as the footsoldier beast begins to snarl at his captors.

They all scream at the first shot, the noise echoing against the walls as Hux fires the gun that Finn brandished earlier. Each bolt pierces the chest of the beast until it lies still on the floor, though Hux isn't satisfied till the gun runs out of ammunition.

Kylo rocks his mother in his arms; with every sway of her lifeless body, his heart breaks a little bit more, and as the reality of their situation dawns on the survivors minds, all that can be heard are the cries of an orphan boy calling for his mother.

  
  


The funeral pyre of Leia burns, survivors of different races and worlds watch the flames lick across the fire, sparks flying up into the atmosphere and Kylo swears that the galaxy seems less bright.

*

It's as if their world is within a bubble of grief; a few hours after Leia's funeral, Finn moves slowly towards the room that he knows he'll find Rose busy at work.

She's there, frantically typing away on a datapad, herself and Hux barely noticing Finn enter. He’s not even sure they realise that Poe is sitting in a chair in the corner.

"I wouldn't bother buddy," the exasperated pilot calls when Finn enters, noticing the food and caff in his hands. "I've been trying to get them to take a break for the past hour, but it's falling on deaf ears."

"We can't take a break," Rose snaps without looking up from her research, her usual chippy voice laced with grief. 

"Rose, you need to rest, or at least eat." Finn pushes the plate on the table beside her. " _ Please _ " he quietly adds.

Hux's head rises from his own screen, a fatigued hand rubbing at his face. "You should rest Rose."

"No, we need…" she begins to argue, but catches the concerned gaze of the men staring her down before giving a defeated sigh and grabbing the food before following Finn out.

"You should rest too," Poe speaks after they leave, noticing how Hux has already gone back to his work.

"No time," the redhead mutters, his attention back on the First research he and Rose have been scouring the galaxies for.

"Hux." Poe reaches to rest his hand on his shoulder, a wave of sadness swept over him when the former general flinches away.

"Armitage, please." 

"Don't!" Hux slams the data pad, startling Poe, the force so harsh that he's not sure if the screen has cracked.

"Don't call me that!" He threatens, like an animal pinned, Hux snarls and bites. Confusion stirs within Poe at his tone, at one time it was a common occurrence, but recently the former First Order member had mellowed in his company.

"Hux, I don't understand..."

"I have a mission to complete Dameron, recent events can't..."

"Recent events? Kriff sake, Hux, Leia died!"

"I'm aware, and if I don't complete this, then she will have died for nothing." Picking up his battered datapad, he returns to his insistent tapping.

"This pretending to have no feelings may have worked with the First Order, but you don't fool me."

Poe’s hands find themselves pulling Hux's chair to face him, not surprised by the glassy tinge of his eyes. 

"I have to..." Hux begins, but Poe cuts him off.

"No, Hux, you don't."

*

The day gives way to night, but Kylo barely notices, his knuckles are raw as he beats at the gym bag. Sweat drips from his hair, onto his neck as the repetitive thud of Kylo's fists alerts Rey to his location.

"Kylo," she knows he's aware of her presence by the slight stutter of his routine before he resumes.

"Ben," she tries again, moving to stand by the bag, glimpsing the red of his eyes and tears tracking down his cheeks.

"Oh, Ben," she pulls him away from the bag, he doesn't give much of a fight. Pulling him into a hug, he practically collapses into her arms, howling in pain.

He's practically catatonic while Rey cleans him up, a shiver falling across his skin with every swipe of the wet cloth, a slight wince while she cleans his battered knuckles, but other than that,  _ nothing _ .

"I can stay, if you want." Kylo meets her eye. He so badly wants to say yes, to hold her in his arms and beg for her to never leave him, but something turns his tongue to lead as he shakes his head slightly before returning to stare at the wall of his room.

He hears her leave and in his spartan surroundings, a quiet, metallic voice whispers in his ear.

"I'll see you soon."

*

He doesn't sleep, for that he is certain; eyes red and raw while he stares blankly at the opposite wall. The sobs that moved his body hours ago had slowly begun to fade.

_ And then, the alarm sounds. _

He hears the rumblings of people moving to action, the mixture of fear and adrenaline radiating from each person. 

He's been in countless fights, sprung many attacks, but the intensifying feeling of dread will not wane from his stomach.

Readying for battle, he grabs his lightsaber, his fingers skimming across the one that once belonged to Luke.

_ "I'm proud of you Ben." _

As if burned by the raw memory, Kylo Ren leaves this gift.

  
  


The bunker is in chaos, people running with no sense of destination as Kylo weaves his way past, seeking the front line.

"Where are the others?" He asks when he arrives, finding Rose staring ahead at the exit.

"Rey, Chewie and the Finn have gone to the Falcon, I think Poe's off somewhere declaring his love to Hux before he jumps in his ship to blow things up."

A smirk plays on Kylo's lips when Hux arrives, looking less put together than usual.

"Glad you could join us." The smirk intensifies at the former general's blush.

"Shut up, Ren."

The doors groan to life, killing all banter, a severe silence befalling the band of soldiers when the distinctive sound of shots can be heard with every inch of the opening door.

No one expects the massacre that waits on the other side.

The sky is full of First ships, planes of the survivor’s own circle and shoot, but the enemy has already had able time to land.

Its foot soldiers snarl and snap at the descending army, the exact twins of the prisoner that killed Leia. They loom above everyone, skin as black as midnight with claws and tentacles ready to attack.

Brandishing the weapons, Kylo and his people attack.

Hacking and slashing away for what feels like countless hours, but is more close to minutes, he feels his body begin to struggle. 

Their enemy is relentless, as one falls, two more take its place, more fearsome than the last.

That's when he sees it, just from the corner of his gaze, the happy image of the Millennium Falcon swooping down from above.

An explosion from behind knocks him to his feet, his weapon lost as he tries to stand. Adrenaline fueling him at this point, he almost brings down his boot on the human hand that grabs at his ankle.

Body almost covered by its killer and fellow doomed victim, he sees flaming red hair that almost blends into the blood that covers his pale skin. 

"Hux!" The fight forgotten, Kylo drops to his knees, trying to assess the damage that has befallen his once known enemy and now friend.

"It's going to be okay," Kylo lies, noticing the fatal slash across the downed general's throat, "don't try to talk."

His fearful gaze locks onto Kylo's, his hand holding strong onto his wrist. "Te...ll Poe."

"I will, Hux," Kylo replies as he sees the life leave his eyes, "I promise," he adds when the body in his arms becomes limp. "Armitage."

The battle continues around them, Kylo still on his knees when the cold shadow of a First blots out his view of the sun.

It raises its right arm high, ready to strike, but neither feels the impact. A too-close blast hitting the beast, the impact tossing itself onto Kylo and killing him instantly.

*

He can feel the heat from the explosion fresh on his skin when he jerks awake, his eyes moving wildly around his surroundings until he catches the familiar sight of Rey leaving.

Pushing to his feet, confused, but delighted, Kylo doesn't even consider the strangeness in the moment, just needing Rey in his arms to chase away the ghost of holding his dead friend in his arms.

She's not there when he makes it into the hall, his vision blurs at his quick movements, causing a wave of nausea to hit him.

_ It's a dream. _

A lost flicker of brain activity as he bleeds out on the ground, mindlessly, he walks the halls, hand pressed against the cool metal that surrounds him, feeling very real.

Making it to the command centre, the distinct tapping of someone spurns his body on. Turning the corner, his chest lurching at the very alive Armitage Hux working away at his desk.

"Oh my maker…Hux?"

His cool eyes raise to cast him a look, his skin pale, but a more healthier complexion than the last time Kylo was in his company. "Ren, I'm so sorry about your mother."

"What are you doing here?" He's not sure if his jaw had risen from the floor as he moves closer, surprised that his dying brain is able to function for as long as it has. 

"I'm, um, working on something." 

Kylo can't help but place his hand on Hux's shoulder, still in wonder at how real everything feels.

"Ren, I know you have suffered severe trauma, but what the bloody hell do you think you are doing?" 

Hux jumps to his feet, staring at Kylo like he's the weirdest creature in the galaxy. "Have you banged your head or something?" 

"Hux, I had this weird dream..." 

But Kylo doesn't get the chance to explain, because the sirens of an incoming attack ring out.

*

Once more, he stands ready to head into battle, again, he listens to Rose and Hux before the door is unlocked and they are due to fight for their lives.

Kylo hasn't got a plan, hell, he's not sure if any of this is real, but as the sounds of battle fill his ears, the fight or flight instinct kicks in.

He sticks close to Hux this time, not sure if he can prevent his friend’s death, then he'll get some form of explanation. 

Easily, he kills the First that he's sure delivered the killing blow when it attempted to ambush Hux from behind. 

Knocking the creatures dead body away, Kylo manages to pull them both from the spot, just as the First that he's sure was the one that died by his side the last time he was here, exploded also.

Relief washes over him, resting for a moment, he stares at the intense battle that seems to be happening simultaneously above. 

The spots the calming image of the Falcon flying into view, up until it collides with another ship and is engulfed by flames.

"Rey!" Kylo screams, useless on the ground as he watches the fragments of the only home he's ever known with the woman he could ever love falling from the sky, completely unaware of the First that stalks from behind.

*

Back in his room, he wakes, the killing blow missed by him as he tries to understand what the kriff is happening!

The sound of his room door closing pulls his panicked mind from its musings, shoving himself to his unsteady legs with only one purpose in mind.

  
  


"Rey!" He catches her in the corridor, her eyes still red-rimmed from crying over Leia when he pulls her into his arms. 

"What's wrong Kylo?" He feels the tension ease slightly from her body, the brutality of his yesterday demanding him to seek comfort in this moment.

He pulls back, intent on telling her, staring at her tear-stained cheeks and bloodshot eyes and the memory of the pain she felt at just losing Leia with the potential for whatever the hell is happening to him, turns his tongue to lead.

"The First are going to attack, we need to prepare." 

Gnawing on his thumb nail, mind racing, he evaluates what he knows of his situation.

The fight he's witnessed, obviously the same, and with the same outcome, just completely different.

_ His demise. _

But he finds himself returned to this moment, enough time to warn the others of the attack.

The last time he felt something this powerful and strange was the beginnings of the force bond between himself and Rey.

_ A force loop. _

A whisper of something that so little have achieved and lived through with no proof of ever existing in the first place, but the memories of the Falcon's last flight enough evidence for Kylo.

He tries to tell the others, has every intention, but as he sees each face filled with determination, he can't help but second-guess his decision.

The whispers of the First's torturous words speak from the depths of his mind.

_ Weak. Coward. Useless. _

He can do this, he can defeat this creature without placing the burden of this curse onto his friends.

_ He has to. _

They prepare, but when the mention of an aerial attack is heard, he practically snaps Poe's head off.

"No ships."

"C’mon Kylo, we need them."

He can't help his focus moving to Rey for a second before he snaps again, "No ships." 

They walk to the front line together, better prepared than last time, side by side, they stand together as equals prepared to fight and hopefully win.

As the enemy approaches, Kylo's hand brushes against Rey's and, for a moment, he truly believes that they can win this.

_ But he was wrong. _

Kylo loses count of the amount of times he relives this fight, trying everything he can to make sure his friends survive whilst finding himself perishing instead.

He can easily recount how distraught Rose looks watching as Finn falls across the battlefield or how Poe can't seem to catch his breath after he finds Hux's body in another loop.

He yearns to tell Rey, to share with her this burden, but even if she isn't the one to fall, everytime he hears her witness the grief of her friends, he knows he can't.

It's like a dance he's managed to perfect. The First attacks, but he easily cuts them away. It’s the longest he's been out in the battle, and that's when he sees the ship he's only noticed from the sky finally dock.

Six soldiers file out in a perfectly synchronised order, attentive to whatever is about to follow them, even as they stand in the middle of the battle.

And then he sees it.

_ The First. The leader. _

It radiates power and pure force energy, brilliant white with leathery skin that seems to hang off its frame. It's more hunched than the rest, with its glassy eyes that stare absently forward while it's tentacles and arms hold onto its soldier-like guards.

Kylo can't help the pure fury that radiates from him, the pain of what this creature had whispered in his ear, how it murdered his mother and the destruction he has seen over and over due to its force loop.

He barely registers Rey's call to him, cutting and stabbing his way towards the beast, the end in sight as he hacks a path to it.

He makes it, swinging blindly when the creature snaps its hand up, catching him in mid air.

"So," it shears with that same monotonous tone, not even moving its head to look in Kylo's direction, "we finally meet force user." 

As its grasp tightens, he hears Rey's war cry, her own weapon raised intent on taking down the beast.

With a sweep of its other arm, it knocks her away while still holding onto Kylo.

With fading oxygen, he can feel his conscience on the precipice. The saber fell to his feet and he could hear the dark chuckle of the creature when he falls to his knees at its feet.

"You so easily find your rightful place." It sinks to his eye level, picking the saber up from its place by his feet. 

"A worthy weapon," it begins, igniting the saber, "I would say," it adds, plunging it straight into Kylo's chest.

Kylo can't do anything but watch it leave, sensing how it stretches its control of the force out across the battlefield and knowing that it's won.

His body begins to buckle, the blood seeping into the sand when he feels Rey at his side, her painful sobs when she realises his fate. 

Her hands press against his wounds, her cries for help call on the wind, but they both know his fate.

For a while, she stays strong, but as the sun begins to drop, the pressure from Rey's grip begins to waver, seeing how hard her arms are shaking as she tries to slow the blood oozing from his wounds. His own hand is heavy, uncoordinated, as he attempts to touch her wet cheeks, noticing how hard she sobs.

"Shhh," his tongue feels like lead, her eyes meeting his as darkness begins to pull him closer. 

He feels something that he hadn't felt in forever, a flicker to start with, a glimmer of sunshine in the back of his skull that flows from Rey finally opening her end the force bond.

She throws all her love and devotion at him, he was trying to do the same from his end, his time numbered, but the opportunity impossible to miss.

"I'll find you when I wake up."

"What?" He attempts to pull her towards him, opening the bond as he frees the memories of the loop he's tried to protect her from.

"Be..." 

_ Darkness rises, but sometimes light’s too late to save it. _

*

Like a jolt of electricity, his conscience snaps back to his room in the compound. Rey's fleeing form is the first thing he looks for when he gains his equilibrium.

"Rey, wait!" 

Bounding after her like a man possessed, he reaches her before the automatic door has time to close.

"I need to tell you something."

*

"You're an idiot, Ren," Hux barks, a face like fury, the shock of what Kylo had just explained to the group warranting him to pull himself away from his important work. "What did you think, wiggling your laser sword at those things would win this?"

"Hugs, let's not start with the name calling," Poe corrects quietly, his eyes filled with tenderness, but worry.

"It doesn't exactly sound like a fantastic idea," Finn pipes up from his place at the conference table, Rose at his side as they stare at Kylo like he has grown a second head, Hux grumbling at Dameron to stop calling him that kriffing nickname when Kylo speaks again.

"I know I screwed up, but I don't know what else to do."

"Because it's not just for you," Rey speaks up from behind him, it's the first thing she's said to him since he finally shared the truth. "This is our fight too and we all have a stake in trying to win."

"I know, but I just…" Kylo's explanation falters when he looks at her, how she holds herself protectively, his gut clenching when he realises that he's hurt her because of his actions. "I didn't want to share the burden."

"Oh, you complete and utter idiot!" Hux exclaims, disappearing to the storeroom whilst muttering about Kylo's complete and utter stupidity. "Leia had me and Rose working on weapon to beat these tentacley beasts." Slamming a long case onto the table when he returns, he continues, "And you have had the missing key this entire time."

"What are you talking about?" Rey asks, moving closer to inspect Hux and Rose's invention.

"We built these to emit a signal that can stop whatever the hell is the First's leader," Rose speaks, opening the case and pulling out three long spear-type devices. "We think that if we can get the signal, we can cut the power as it were."

"And you had the frequency running through your brain." Hux pulled out a chair and tapped the back of it, his gaze, as well as the others’, intently on Kylo.

"And you're only just mentioning this now?" Finn demands, Hux and Rose passing a look before the former sighs.

"We didn't want to give people hope if it was a lost cause."

"Look around baby," Poe gestures to room, " _ we _ are the lost cause." 

"Sit."

  
  


For hours, Kylo was dragged through tests, and when Hux thought he had the key he needed, Rose handed him a cup of caff and a reassuring hand on his arm.

"Must have been difficult going through all that alone, but we can do this."

Kylo smiled down at the cup, not for the first time, happy that he can be in Rose's presence. "You sound so confident about that." 

"Because we have to be." She gestures back to the table where the others are already deep in discussion, and they begin to talk strategy.

*

After many hours, the group disperses, plans are agreed and the clock is ticking closer to when the First's attack is due to strike.

Rey and Kylo walk together back to their rooms, minds filled with uncertainty, their bond seemingly the only stable part of both of them.

"Goodnight," Rey speaks when they reach her door, Kylo smiling as he retreats to his own.

The memories of the times he had sat alone, yearning to hold Rey while the dread of tomorrow built with every closing minute, gnaws at his very being. 

Pulling away to the door, he's inside her quarters before he can stop himself, she's looking at him with eyes full of concern and questions, but the time for words is over.

The first press of her lips against his own is everything, how she clings to his shoulders when her brain catches up with their entwined bodies. 

The mess on the bed is quickly discarded onto the floor, neither concerned as the only person that matters in the moment is the other. 

Bodies are relieved of clothing, skin is worshipped by the other’s lips and as the night draws on, Rey and Kylo find peace in each other.

He feels his body starting to relax, skin still blissfully warm wrapped around Rey's own as he feels balance within his mind for the first time.

"Kylo?" Rey's voice pulls him from his musings, her arm tightening against its resting place across his stomach. "I need you to promise me something."

"Anything." His arms pull her against him, so her body practically rests on top of his. "What is it?"

Lifting her head, he notices how glassy those beautiful hazel eyes had become, staring down at him while one of her hands gently cups his face. "If we don't win tomorrow, if you have to relive today..."

Her fingers run patterns across his chest, the fearful sigh warm against his skin. "Find me when you wake up."

Kylo's hand gently grips the back of her neck, manoeuvring himself so he's closer to her lips. "I'll always find you, no matter what." 

"Promise?" Her voice sounds small and fearful and understanding dawns on him.

"Promise, Rey, you're not alone anymore."

"Neither are you, Ben."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it ends...

Chapter 3

A new dawn breaks as they take up their positions, Kylo's fingers entwined with Rey's as they make their slow progression to the falcon. Chewie and Finn walked straight up the ramp to get into position while Rey lingers behind for a moment.

From where she stands, she easily meets Kylo's gaze. Her hazel eyes were filled with unspoken emotions that he's certain his own mirror back.

Her lips meet his, gentle, but the fear of goodbye clear. "Come find me when you wake up," her voice catching at the end, her lips ghost against the shell of his ear, causing him to shiver.

Slowly, Kylo pulls her away, her reddened eyes causing his own to sting. One of his hands reaching to wipe an errant tear, his hand cups her cheek. "This will work."

"But what if we were wrong?" 

"Listen to me Rey," his lips find her own, their kiss more earnest than the last, "We can do this, I believe in you and I believe in  _ us _ ."

For a moment, they remain suspended, foreheads touching as they share the same air.

"Promise me, Ben." Her eyes meet his and he knows he would steal the stars for her. The engines of the falcon kick up, their time dwindling.

"If we stay like this, on the edge of tomorrow, then I'll always find my way to you."

  
  


The Millennium Falcon shot out of sight quickly, shortly after Rey took her place, Kylo watching from the launch pad. The confirmation of Dameron's departure in his X-wing came, BB8's noises buzzing through the comms, closely following.

"Hux, Rose, you in position?" 

"Yes."

"Yep." 

With both replies, Kylo makes his way to his own position, far from the opposite side of the base entrance, the third identical transmitter in hand as he jams it into the ground. He sees Hux for a moment from his position to the right, high on the hill, doing the same and Rose from her position closest to the safety of the base, placing her transmitter in the ground.

"So, we switch these things on and it'll take down the army?"

"In theory," Hux speaks first, settling back down into position, his rifle already back in his arms. "As long as the frequency we tracked form you is the correct one, we should be fine."

"Should," Kylo scoffs, "thanks for making me feel reassured, Hux."

"It'll work," Rose's tone brokers no argument and in an instant the air seems too still. Kylo knows what's about to happen, seen it what feels like a hundred times, but the way the First ships burst from the depths of the sky sends a cold shiver down Kylo's spine.

The alarms does not ring, the survivors hide far from the empty base in cover as they watch the First destroy what has been their home with ease. They watch as the confused creatures land and disembark, confused by the lack of revolt.

_ And then they strike. _

  
  


Rose, Hux and Kylo flip the switch, the machine springing to life, the high-pitched frequency silent to their ears, but seemingly catastrophic to the First.

Fellow warriors burst from their hiding spots, the First's soldiers clearly disoriented from their weapon, the calls of battle the song of the morning. 

Kylo brandishes his lightsaber, the red beam cutting through First flesh. The explosion from the First ships above avoided by all, Kylo's inside knowledge of the fight leading to their advantage. He hears Hux's sniper rifle shooting down the enemy from afar, aware how his gaze is focused closely on Rose's position, even though, from the battlecries, Kylo can make out the petite engineer, the backup isn't needed.

That's when he sees it, the First ships flying lower than he had seen before, the X-wing and Falcon hot on its heels as they swoop and duck through the sky, shots fired between them before it crashes to the ground.

The battlefield is silent, the remnants of the ship are broken from within and finally the leader of the First is revealed.

No matter how many times Kylo sees it, his stomach lurches in apprehension. Its leathery skin was almost as pale as the stars, its milky eyes that are unable to see, still seem to find him on the far side of the fight as the rest of its army rages on around them.

That's when the shots from the sky ring out, Dameron's X-wing aiming all of its fury at the pale creature, its shots destroying the ground around it while the Falcon focuses on its army.

It holds one of its claws out when he swoops near, the force rippling around him before a flick of its wrist sends Dameron and his ship sailing uncontrollably in the air.

"Poe," the fear laced cry that escapes Hux hits Kylo's chest, as he hears him call out to his lover. "I'm going after him." 

"Hux, wait!" Rose commands, "we have to protect the devices." 

"I'm not leaving him to die, damn it!" He says before the sniper's communications go silent.

That's when Kylo sees it, the Falcon swooping in, its sights set on the leader. He can hear Rey through the bond, feel her fury and determination. The creature notices too, its control of the force, squirreling into their shared connection.

It's the Falcon's turn to attack, Finn on the guns whilst Rey and Chewie pilot an at ease team that has Kylo knowing his father would be proud. 

But then the engines stuttered to a stop, Kylo gasps, shocked at the ease of the First's power. Its claw raises as it pulls its talons closed into a fist. He hears the metal groan, can feel how the ship begins to be pulled out of shape, the corridors he remembers running down with his mother chasing him, beginning to crack under the pressure.

His feet move before he realises his saber raised as he slams his body hard into the creature’s chest, sending them both sailing to the ground to the sound of the Falcon crashing behind them.

The threat of sanity snaps and all hell breaks loose. 

The army screams, attacking both fellow soldiers and the enemy, like their equilibrium has been spun off its axis.

The creature rises to its feet first, but Kylo's never seen it looking so weak, the way it can't help but paw at its ears. The frequency on which it holds onto its army, weakening because of their invention. 

"Vermin!" It squeals, its ill-intent aimed at Kylo when a shot rings out from afar.

_ Hux. _

The best sniper of the academy fires more rounds at the beast, a few connecting as a few drops of the milky liquid of its blood splash on the ground.

Its hand snaps up, its gaze aimed fifty metres away at the redhead. "You are really starting to work my last nerve," it says angrily before sending the last of the bullets back to the shooter.

Kylo feels its force signature beginning to bubble and rise, its aim still focused on Hux while he struggles to his feet, when more shots ring out.

_ Poe. _

Battered from his ship's crash landing, with blood streaming down his face as he moves closer, he puts himself in the creature’s sights, but pulls its attention away from his sniper.

The beast howls as more rounds are shot in its direction, this time from Rose's gun, while she covers Rey, Finn and Chewie's evacuation of the Falcon.

The force crackles from within the beast, the world on which they stand seems to shift and groan. The earth made up of dirt and blood is swept up in the building wind before the force of the creature's power overflows and bursts at the survivors, consuming them in the supernatural sandstorm.

It's found a reprieve, away from the team effort of its demise. The winds sweep between them, Kylo standing as he once again ignites his lightsaber, the red flame offering a suitable bloodthirsty glow.

He strikes and stabs at the creature, avoiding each thrust with ease, its confidence in the fight blooming with every missed blow.

Kylo throws himself at the beast, saber raised to strike between the soft flesh of its neck when its left claw grabs the body of the weapon, its three claws avoiding the red beam, although, Kylo begins to smell the distinct smell of sizzling flesh the more they struggle.

"A valiant effort," it speaks, the burn of Kylo's muscles as it strains against its own, almost the only thing he can focus on before it speaks in its dull tone.

"But again, you are left wanting." The body of the saber cracks within his grasp, he can feel the kyber crystal shudder in his hand as his weapon falls apart within the creature’s hold.

The blast of his weapon's destruction has his ears ringing when his back collides with the hull of the Falcon. 

Kylo can't help but stare in fearful awe as the creature crushes the remains of his sabers kyber crystal within its palm.

"My world will be built on the bodies of the weak." 

His body screams for a reprieve, his soul weary from the countless times he has seen this bringer of death stalking towards him. It feels different than all the times he's felt himself slipping away, more desperate, more final and it's like Kylo knows.

_ They’re not coming back from this _ .

They played their best hand and the impending failure moves closer with every step the beast takes, its cloudy white eyes staring blankly in his direction. The paleness of its skin, perfectly stark in the midday sun, like death, it moves to deliver its final blow.

Kylo struggles to rise, the sand of the battlefield sticking to the blood that drips from the gash over his eye. The defiant spirit that he recognises in Rey seems to guide him to rise if he can.

_ Precious, beautiful Rey, how I've failed you and damned us all. _

"Weeping in the dirt like the sad creature you are," it sneers, its long feet coming into his view as it practically preens at its nearing victory.

"I almost pity you, a valiant effort, but like many things in your life, son of Solo, you are too weak to win."

Kylo spits at its feet, almost wincing at the amount of effort and blood that the small gesture costs him. The kick to the ribs is worth it, the spike of fury radiating from the creature’s force signature.

"Look at the sight of your army, pathetic." One of its tentacles takes hold of his chin, pulling him to standing. 

Kylo struggles to contain the groans as his body fights to rise, falling deaf on the beast’s ears.

"Soon, you will die, as will your friends, and no one will dare to rise up against me." It pushes him to bare his own weight. He’s not sure if it can laugh, but he feels its joy at the way he sways for a moment.

"Out in the galaxy, hope will be lost and you will have proven to everyone that you are nothing more than a sad, pathetic little boy." 

The force prickles around him, the very thing he once believed he was the truest wielder of, now he knows he only managed to scratch the surface. It tightens against his senses, thousands upon thousands of razor-sharp blades attacking his being on a cellular level, the last thing he hears is the creature's voice, too weak to notice if it's whispered in his ear or projected directly to his mind.

"Now, pray to your maker and meet your end." 

Kylo hopes that the others escape, that they find somewhere out of this creature’s grasp. He thinks of his mother, how he hopes he'll see her again, to tell her how sorry he is for the pain he's caused to her and the rest of his family, and only as the last twinkle of light begins to fade, he allows himself to think of Rey.

How soft her skin felt against his, the words of reassurance she would whisper in his ear when she knew he needed it the most. How her lips felt pressed against his and how his heart beat only for her.

"Get your hands off him!" Her voice rings through his senses, the lighthouse in the darkest storm. The force choke is ripped away, Rey's own power cocooning Kylo in a blanket of safety.

Senses returning, his eyes open and she's there. Body bruised like his own, her cream clothes stained by the blood and dirt of battle and her white saberstaff powered up and aimed at the First.

It snarls, limbs snapping at Rey in every direction as she counters each attack, the war zone filled with the hissing noise of tentacles being lost and the stench of burning flesh.

On shaky legs, Kylo rises, his hand reaching to brandish his own weapon, only realising his loss when he feels the empty space that his lightsaber once filled.

"Here!" Rey calls. He should have guessed how in-tuned she is with him, already prepared while mid-battle, throwing the lightsaber of his family in his direction.

He takes a breath, his finger almost shaky on the button before the kyber crystal ignites to show that brilliant blue.

Memories of Luke teaching him how to hold and respect this very weapon, hearing stories of Anakin wielding it too, fill his thoughts.

And he feels it, the balance in his soul. The history and family he spent his life fighting against, Solo and Skywalker elements he wanted to resist, but both sides needed.

He throws himself into battle, him and Rey moving as if one. The First spits and claws, but as the ground at its field is painted with blood, it knows it is lost.

Its jaws snap as the pair work in tandem, with every strike of their sabers, the creature weakens just a little bit more. They aren't sure who delivers the killing blow, but they feel the balance of the force restore itself when its creature is no more.

As if by a domino effect, with the First’s last breath, its soldiers fall like puppets with their strings cut. Kylo can hear the survivors begin to cheer as they realise they have won, he can't help but smile in relief when he sees Rose hugging a battle-weary Finn, a chuckle almost escaping when he notices Hux giving Poe a stern lecture of risks he's sure to have taken during the fight, only for the words to turn to ash on his tongue when emotions become too much, pulling the pilot’s lips to his own in a relieved kiss.

"Ben." Rey moves to his side, the wince not lost on him or the way she rests her weight on her staff. "We won."

First pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead, his lips move slowly to meet her own in a kiss filled with emotions that words fail to describe. 

"What now Kylo?" Finn calls, his arm wrapped around Rose while he shakes the hand of Hux and Poe, who move closer.

"Call me Ben," his eyes meet Rey's, the flush of her cheeks fueling the confidence in his voice, "and I have no idea."

Rey's hand reaches to grab a hold of his, the grasp tightening slightly when she smiles up at him.

"But whatever comes next, we'll be there together."

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this has been a ride!
> 
> Thank you for reading 💕

**Author's Note:**

> Death is coming...


End file.
